Router Carving Day- October 13th 2012 - Vista, CA-UPDATED with Photos

We staked the tables to the ground so that they wouldnt move and rock

Marion's Shag inspired design.

Its not a sweatshop. I swear.

Moai Mike's trim work in full effect.

Tiki Pops getting started.

No one can escape the sawdust.

MaukaHale

Marion in a moment of focus.

We broke for lunch mid day. Brats, Fantastic German Potato salad from Roxanne and Octoberfest beer.

We were attacked by a teenage Werewolf shortly after lunch.

Fortunately we had an guard dog who could lick the Werewolf into submission

Mauka Hale's sign almost done with carving and router work.

Moai Mike

Me helping out with some of the chisel work

Tiki Pops in progress

Brads sign after router work is complete

Maukahale painting his sign

Brad adding paint

Moai Mikes bundle of trim. Ahh... tiki goodness.

Marion applying stain

Marion's finished piece

MaukaHale's finished work

Roxanne and Moai Mike Supervising

Painted and stained and waiting for clearcoat to dry.

Brad and Marion with their finished pieces

MaukaHale

Tiki Pops just before paint and Stain

Tiki Pops sign almost finished.

Thanks for this post guys! great to see everyone being creative
And what a great idea for a get together, this is something anyone can organize
in any part of the Tiki world!

While everyone is doing good work I have to say I like Tiki Pops choice of colors.

[ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2012-10-14 12:27 ]

This was a great class, big thanks to Derek and Roxanne for putting it on! I consider myself the "least artistic man in the world" and with Derek's infinite patience and his constant pep-talks, and Roxanne's awesome lunch, i made my first piece of art ever! I'm pretty damn proud of myself! Marion and i had a great time and can't wait to get our router back out and make some more cool stuff.
Can't wait for the next class!
~Brad

If and when there's another one, I'd like to come down. :)

What great day this was. I'd like to thank Derek for his pointers on router technique & his attention to detail in putting on a great class. Roxanne's lunch was off the hook. The potato salad & banana bread was awesome. All of the fellow router newbies were great. It was nice to meet all of you, even if we worked more than visit. I'll gladly attend another class, of any type, put on by Derek.
Thanks, Mike

Whoaah, nice job everybody!

Beautiful work from everyone! Derek, the tables were ingenious! Where do you find clear pine like that? The "clear" pine at Lowe's has more knots than a macrame hammock!

The wood was from Lowes.

I go through the entire stack if necessary to find the best pieces.

Thanks to Derek and Roxanne for hosting the router class. It was a very fun and productive day! You both put a lot into it. Everybodys work turned out great and it was not hard to do, just a long time holding a router. Since mine is still a work in progress I will post photos of it when it is finished. Thanks again to Derek, Roxanne and all who participated.

A Big Mahalo to Monkeyman and Goddess-Sunb for a great day. Seldom do I meet people as kind and sharing as these two. My comment is the same: a lot learned but I wish there had been more time to be more social. The day went by too fast.

I now have a lot ahead of me to continue with the router for the "Aloha Theater and Tiki Bar."

Here are a few pictures that don't duplicate those already posted.

I have finally gotten my project to a point that I feel I can share it with all of you. My idea was to build light boxes that would serve as shelves upon which I could display some of my cocktail glasses, bottles, swizzle sticks and other things that would be illuminated by up lighting. I built the boxes with a shelf inside to hold a neon light fixture and drilled a hole and routed a channel in the back to run the wiring. I painted the boxes in the hopes of making them look like something from PNG. Maybe I should have thinned the paint more to make it look more like stain. Since they are attached to the wall behind the bar I am thinking of putting bamboo poles and fish netting over them so I don't knock everything off during a cocktail mixing frenzy.

I have finally gotten my project to a point that I feel I can share it with all of you. My idea was to build light boxes that would serve as shelves upon which I could display some of my cocktail glasses, bottles, swizzle sticks and other things that would be illuminated by up lighting. I built the boxes with a shelf inside to hold a neon light fixture and drilled a hole and routed a channel in the back to run the wiring. I painted the boxes in the hopes of making them look like something from PNG. Maybe I should have thinned the paint more to make it look more like stain. Since they are attached to the wall behind the bar I am thinking of putting bamboo poles and fish netting over them so I don't knock everything off during a cocktail mixing frenzy.

Moai Mike - Those came out really nice. I wondered what the finished product would look like.

Here's my first project since attending Derek's awesome class. We needed a little Hawaiian Christmas so I drew up a Mele Kalikimaka sign.
Here is the pattern & the drawing transferred to the board.

Here it is completed.

Here's a few close -ups.

I hope to get it painted & stained this week.

I like how you made the consonants tall and the vowels short. That's a good looking sign.

Nicely done !

Hope its ok to post here, I used this thread and your (MM) recommendations on routers and bits for my first try at routering.

I couldn't make this event obviously, so used the pics and info as sort of a long distance learning thing.. lol

Here's my first attempt at some door trim.

layout

kinda straight...

torched, brushed and clearcoat

top piece

if this is the wrong place to post these, let me know and ill delete the post.

Thanks for the knowledge sharing Monkeyman (and others)

Cheers
Darren

Dude
Those rock
Time for your home tiki bar post with all this cool stuff in it

Jon

I'd love to come up for the next time you do a router class/ workshop. I'll keep an eye out, or send a message to me. Thanks!

probably in the late spring/early summer.

Thanks, would love to come to the next time.... will keep an eye out.

Did some router work this weekend - ALOHA!!

Roxanne

Roxanne,

Nice job!

What is the name of the clear material, that you and Monkeyman, spray over the stain? Its to seal it and give it a little bit of shine.

Good stuff...

Jon

I haven't checked in here in a while.

Roxanne, your sign is awesome. I like the flower.

Dagg, Your moldings rock. I'd to see them installed.

Here are a few things I've been working on recently.

A fish design to complement a glass bowl I found to make a lamp. The fish are craved on both sides.

Here they are painted & stained.

Here's the finished lamp.

Here is a panel design. I made 3 for another lamp.

carved & burnt.

Painted & stained.

After all this work I feeling good about how I am progressing with my work so thought I'd try something a little tougher.
Here' s latest sign. The Endless Summer.

The design tcopied to the board.

Half way done carving.

Here is the finished sign. Burnt, painted & distressed.

I am hooked, can't stop.

[ Edited by: TikiPops 2013-03-31 15:14 ]

I never grabbed a 1/4 shank 60 degree bit, so a few days ago I went to Rockler to check them out. Being used to paying no more than $20 for a bit, I experienced sticker shock at the $59 price tag for the one they had in stock! I had one of their 20% off coupons in hand, but it was still too expensive to justify buying even after the discount. I noticed that the tag on it said that it was a "sign making" bit. A couple pegs up the rack, I spied a 3 bit "sign making kit." It had a 60, 90, and U bit in it for $69. I used the coupon and got $14 off. The kit 60 bit is a little smaller than the stand alone one is, but it's still fine for the stuff I'd be using it on.

Just thought I'd let you guys know about this in case you're looking into getting the 60 bit. Might be better to get the kit if you do not have any bits yet. The profiles in that kit and maybe 2 other smaller U shaped bits are about all I've ever used on all my routered pieces so far.

Buzzy Out!

I just saw this thread and wen through the whole thing. Amazing work everyone! What a fun day. I'm so jealous.....

I really need to try routing again. I find it so hard but maybe I need a new router. Mine is hard to control. It's a Craftsman and not a plunge style one.

This had been my intended project for the carving day, but life got in the way and I had to cancel at the last min. Finally got around to breaking in my new router and catch up with inspiration. PNG Yipwon hook spirit carved with both router and carving chisels. Ready for burnishing, stain, & paint. Want to thank the Monkeyman for inspiring me to try my hand at this medium. Pretty pleased with where this is going. Hopefully Derek will graciously host another project day at his place soon! Always a good time!

"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity."

[ Edited by: whoseyrtiki 2014-02-24 16:49 ]